Paralyzed vet to be featured in commercial

The Rocky

Published February 7, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.
Updated February 7, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.

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Tracy and Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Keil last summer.

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Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Keil is about to become a star.

The young soldier paralyzed from the neck down by an Iraqi sniper's bullet a year ago will be featured in a national television commercial for Paralyzed Veterans of America, a group that works to improve the quality of life for soldiers with spinal cord injuries.

"He's a good face for PVA because he's doing what they like to see — getting on with his life," said Keil's wife, Tracy.

The public service announcement will be filmed in Colorado next week by a film crew from Washington D.C., where the 20,000-member veterans group is based.

There's more excitement on the Keils' horizon: ground-breaking for their new home in Parker is expected in March, Tracy Keil said.

The house, being built free of charge by Pulte Homes and the nonprofit Homes for Our Troops, will be outfitted with all the latest technology and any specialized changes the Keils want, including roll-in showers, extra-wide hallways and doorways, automatic doors and the electric hoist Keil needs to get in and out of bed.

The Rocky Mountain News has followed Keil's story since last May.

Help for the Keils

Homes for Our Troops, which builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans free of charge, wants to hear from suppliers, plumbers, electricians, framers and anyone else who would like to help build the Keils' new home.

Look for more information at homesforourtroops.org or contact Director of Projects and Veterans Affairs Kirt Rebello at 866-7-TROOPS or krebello@homesforourtroops.org.

Needed donations include lumber, sheetrock, cabinets, countertops, roofing and flooring. For a complete list, go to http://www.homesforourtroops.org/site/PageNavigator/SSG_Matthew_Keil

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